"The idea is to set up a movie we've seen a hundred times before, and then to rearrange it into something new and deliriously satisfying," he said, giving the film an 'A' grade.

"What a fun, brilliant movie this is."

Digital Spy's Simon Reynolds continued the compliments: "Cabin in the Woods is witty, scary and incredibly inventive. This is a must-see genre-bending horror movie - miss it at your peril."

Variety's Peter Debruge said it subverted horror expectations in a style similar to Scream, and called it "a sly, self-conscious twist on one of slasher films' ugliest stepchildren: the coed campsite massacre".

HitFix's Drew McWeeny said Cabin in the Woods made up for years of terrible horror films.

"(It's) not just a great horror film, but also a thesis on why we need horror films and what role they serve in our diet."

Only one reviewer has given it a negative rating, with The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney giving it two-and-a-half stars out of five.

A New Zealand release date for Cabin in the Woods hasn't yet been set.